Character Interviews!

[Theresa to SHO!:] All I knew when I saw her was here was a child who weren't gettin' proper care. I still have no Earthly idea what this child is, and it's clear to me she ain't a human child, but what's important is she acts like it. Those are human tears and human needs, even if she's somethin' else. I'm a mama, so I get a special POKE from the Lord when I hear a baby cryin', but even before I had my first babe I took care of everythin' in my path, from lost puppies to hungry beetles. Little wonder I ended up on the streets when I take care of other people before I take care of myself.

[Theresa to SHO!:] I ain't gonna lie, I know I'm in over my head. [Laughs] I'll do as much as I possibly can, but I gotta tell you it ain't gonna be much. I'd feel a little different if I had a home for the poor child, but I ain't even got one for myself. How could I be a stand-in for a mama when even my own kids got taken away from me? And I got no idea how much you know 'bout my life, but I got this condition called epilepsy, and good medication's s'posed to control it but wouldn't ya know, I can't afford no medication after I got divorced and lost my insurance. This is why I can't get hired, can't keep a paycheck, can't keep an apartment, and wasn't left to keep my kids. But even though I got no resources, I'm sensible, and I'm hopin' I can talk that li'l Melanie girl into bringin' her home. She way too young to be runnin' around like she does, but she definitely clean and fed, so somebody puts her in the bath and puts that junk food in her hand. Maybe between the two of us we can figure out what to do with the poor thing.

[Theresa to SHO!:] I suspect she just wanted to take better care of the baby. For someone with a rough home life, she got some surprisingly motherly attachment to that child, and she almost know how to do it right, too! It's sweet; her heart's in the right place. Hard to tell, though, if Melanie's running away or running toward.

[Theresa to SHO!:] Nobody should ever ask me if I got advice and not corral me into a specific subject! [Laughs] If you mean about running away, I obviously think children belong in capable caregivers' hands, and I'll need to find out if Melanie's mama qualifies. She definitely shouldn't be thinkin' 'bout runnin' away though. And she need to stay in school.

[Theresa to SHO!:] Would I if it was up to me? 'Course. But first off, I don't have nowhere to take them in to right now. And as far as Melanie goes, she legally belong to at least her mama, though I really don't know her situation exactly. I could get in deep trouble if I just go takin' somebody's kid, though o'course if she gettin' abused or neglected it'd be easy with my resources to figure out who to tell. But I got no rights to this child. If the mother's incompetent, I'm sure someone who ain't me is next in line. But I sure as heck would let her sleep at my house whenever she wanted to, once I got a house.

[Theresa to SHO!:] Yes, o'course I know . . . I lectured her about it and made her go to church! [Laughs] I wouldn't say stealin' is a necessity even now, though. If her mama don't give her no money and send her out on the street all day, though, she ought to be put in better care and her mama ought to be in custody. There ain't no reason anybody got to be stealin' at all.